Pipe clamp with live loading nut assembly

Abstract

A clamp with a live loading clamp nut assembly is provided for pipe joints and the like. The nut assembly includes a body member movable within a cage. A plurality of springs, such as spring washers, are employed in the cage to provide a stored spring energy to maintain the clamping pressure in a desired range. The clamping arrangement preferably includes a pair of jaws, hinged together at one end so that the other ends of the jaws are moved toward and away from one another. The nut assembly presses the free ends of the jaws together to maintain a desired tightness in the pipe joint.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A live loading clamp nut assembly, comprising: a body having first and second opposed ends, with a body stop wall intermediate the first and second ends and a sleeve portion which extends to the first end and which defines an internally threaded bore for receiving a threaded bolt extending along a predefined axis;   a cage held captive on the body, the cage having first and second opposed ends said first end receiving the body, including a cage stop wall intermediate the first and second end of the cage with an internal bore wall which extends between the cage stop wall and the second end of the cage which is dimensioned to slidingly receive portions of the sleeve portion so that the body is free to move along the axis, the cage defining a cage internal cavity extending between the cage stop wall and a point adjacent the first end of the cage; and   spring bias means comprising a plurality of spring washers stacked on the sleeve portion within the cage internal cavity, between the cage stop wall and the body stop wall for urging the cage stop wall and the body stop wall away from each other.   
     
     
       2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the cage includes an inwardly turned lip at its first end and the body includes a shoulder portion adjacent its first end with an outwardly turned lip interfering with the inwardly turned lip on the cage to hold the cage captive on the body. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the second end of the cage has a rounded outer surface. 
     
     
       4. A live loading clamping assembly, including first and second clamp members, each clamp member having first and second ends, the clamp members hinged together at the first ends and having respective outwardly projecting shoulders at the second ends, a bolt pinned at one end to the first shoulder so as to be swingable adjacent the second shoulder, a nut assembly for threadingly engaging the bolt so as to engage the second shoulder to draw the first and the second clamp members together, the nut assembly comprising: a body having first and second opposed ends, with a body stop wall intermediate the first and second ends and a sleeve portion which extends to the first end and which defines an internally threaded bore for receiving the bolt, extending along a predefined axis;   a cage held captive on the body, the cage having first and second opposed ends said first end receiving the body, including a cage stop wall intermediate the first and second end of the cage with an internal bore wall which extends between the cage stop wall and the second end of the cage which is dimensioned to slidingly receive portions of the sleeve portion so that the body is free to move along the axis, the cage defining a cage internal cavity extending between the cage stop wall and a point adjacent the first end of the cage; and   spring bias means comprising a plurality of spring washers stacked on the sleeve portion within the cage internal cavity between the cage stop wall and the body stop wall for urging the cage stop wall and the body stop wall away from each other to resiliently hold the first ends of the clamp members so as to prevent their being spread apart.   
     
     
       5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the cage includes an inwardly turned lip at its first end and the body includes a shoulder portion adjacent its first end with an outwardly turned lip interfering with the inwardly turned lip on the cage to hold the cage captive on the body. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the second end of the cage has a rounded outer surface.